Ecology question- greatest biomass

[virtualmaster999]

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Hey everyone!

I'm a little confused on this question:

"If you wanted to convert excess grain into the greatest amount of biomass, which animal would you give it to?"
a) mice
b) mealworms
c) carp
d) cattle
e) chickens

So I know that as you go up the trophic pyramid, you lose energy/biomass. So the most energy/ biomass owuld be in herbivores after plants.

I'm confused on why it's mealworms and not cattle. Since both are herbivores, wouldn't cattle give you more biomass? Or does it depend on being an endo/ectotherm?

Thank you in advance!

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

Unique question. Tough too.

As a general trend, larger animals are higher up on the food chain/trophic pyramid and this is why the answer may be mealworms over the others, because like you said as you go up the pyramid you lose biomass. Making the assumption that the smaller you are the less energy is wasted...

Thinking of surface area to volume ratios though... small animals waste a ton of heat due to rather high SA/V ratios... so that doesn't really support mealworms..

Just throwing out a few thoughts.

Maybe the question is flawed?

 

[virtualmaster999]

Unique question. Tough too.

As a general trend, larger animals are higher up on the food chain/trophic pyramid and this is why the answer may be mealworms over the others, because like you said as you go up the pyramid you lose biomass. Making the assumption that the smaller you are the less energy is wasted...

Thinking of surface area to volume ratios though... small animals waste a ton of heat due to rather high SA/V ratios... so that doesn't really support mealworms..

Just throwing out a few thoughts.

Maybe the question is flawed?

Thanks!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Hey everyone!

I'm a little confused on this question:

"If you wanted to convert excess grain into the greatest amount of biomass, which animal would you give it to?"
a) mice
b) mealworms
c) carp
d) cattle
e) chickens

So I know that as you go up the trophic pyramid, you lose energy/biomass. So the most energy/ biomass owuld be in herbivores after plants.

I'm confused on why it's mealworms and not cattle. Since both are herbivores, wouldn't cattle give you more biomass? Or does it depend on being an endo/ectotherm?

Thank you in advance!

It does depend on being ecto and endotherm. Here, mealworm, will use less energy and therefore can contribute more to the Biomass.

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

That makes sense. Mealworms don't have to use energy to maintain their body temp, they just get their internal heat from the environment. Carps are also ectoderms but I think they are more along the lines of secondary consumers.

 

[virtualmaster999]

It does depend on being ecto and endotherm. Here, mealworm, will use less energy and therefore can contribute more to the Biomass.

Thank you! So for a question like this, would you first look at which organisms are herbivores, and then check which of those herbivores are ectotherms?

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Thank you! So for a question like this, would you first look at which organisms are herbivores, and then check which of those herbivores are ectotherms?

Yes that is correct!